Rolls-Royce predicts a future of Drone Ships

Rolls-Royce believes in the future of crew-less cargo ships. There are drones in the sky, there is also a big chance in near future we to see drone ships sailing around the world. Rolls-Royce Holdings is considering to create an unmanned cargo ships controlled at a distance by captains located far from the seas. The new project was started recently, the result of this experiment is expected to prove that these drone ships are not just a dream. The crew-less ships advantages are: safety and low cost for transportation of cargo.

The motto of Rolls-Royce is:

"TECHNOLOGY IS AT THE LEVEL WHERE WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN."

Maritime technology and marine engineering are at level where designing and operating unmanned ships are a possible future. According to the company this is the right time to make the first step. It is clear that these drone ships will be introduced after many tests and this process will last for years. There are obstacles for this project to become real because for example of the minimum crew number requirements and ineligibility for being insured by major providers. There is a hesitation what will happen when all people on board the vessel are removed. Many are concerned about the safety of such type of vessels.

The company Rolls-Royce Holdings specializes in the aircraft and ship engineering, with this project the firm makes plans for its future. Removing crew members from the ship will benefit the owners or the operators of crew-less ships, the vessels will be 5% lighter and will use 12%-15% less fuel. Crew is a big expense for the companies and represents 44% of total expenses of the large container ships. The design of the drone ships includes not only removing the crew, but also the bridge and unnecessary equipment.

The biggest challenge in this project is the safety of the remote-controlled ships. Drone ships are expected to be safer, cheaper and less polluting. At first unmanned ships are planned to be deployed in less busy shipping routes.